


A Tale For All Hallows Eve

by TheOldMan



Category: Warcraft - All Media Types, WoW - Fandom, World of Warcraft
Genre: Gen, Horror-Semi Gothic-Ghost Story, World of Warcraft-Hallows End
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-28
Updated: 2014-10-28
Packaged: 2018-02-23 00:05:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,225
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2526620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheOldMan/pseuds/TheOldMan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It is the last night of Hallows End and it is time for Hanshii to take up the familial mantle and tell the ghost story that his family has been telling ever since he, his father (may he rest in peace), and his grandfather (may he rest in peace) can remember.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Tale For All Hallows Eve

*****DISCLAIMER:*****

All references to characters and places in the Blizzard-Activision game World of Warcraft belongs to them. This includes all player made characters as stated in the Terms of Service we all agree to when there is a new install/patch/etc.

The ghost story itself save for the places and references to Hallows End is my own creation from the perspective of my character Fathergoose, though Fathergoose himself belongs to Blizzard-Activision.

Hence anything that does not belong to Blizzard-Activision belongs to me and I claim as a part of my own copyright.

* * *

 

**"A Tale For All Hallows Eve"**

 

It is one of those holidays that seems to pull the family together. Each of us have our own wounds to lick and hearts that grieve over dear losses but through the pain we seem to be drawn together especially during Hallows End. Besides the Blackwing Clan that makes up the core of this group there is extended family relatives and close friends with their families. All in all a mixture of trolls, orcs, taurens, blood elves, with a smattering of human and night elf because they are outcast due to falling in love with someone from the Horde or a death knight.

Tonight is a special night. Family and friends are gathered around a large campfire. Large enough to keep the group warm but built low enough so they can see each other's eyes reflecting firelight. At the designated head of the gathering sitting cross-legged is an undead warrior named Hanshii with his blood elf lady love Arielys cuddled up beside his boney arm. As their eyes roam around the circle they reflect not only the warmth of the fire but the warmth of affection they share with each other and with the represented souls.

Leaning forward with his yellow eyes almost getting lost in the flame, Hanshii speaks in his gravely undead voice, "Tonight, like so many Hallows End nights celebrated down through the generations of my family, it is story time. Since my parents, sister, youngest brother, and grandparents are not here to tell the tales and my elder brother eschews all but Ari's and my company at his keep in Northrend, it falls to me, the middle son, to make you shiver with fright.

As you all know Azeroth has always had stories about demons, ghouls, ghosts, geists, imps, zombies, and spirits of all sorts. Some of them are just that, stories meant to make you shiver or look under your bed every night. Some are meant as object lessons for us to learn from and take wisdom from for our lives. And yet others... like the one I am about to tell you is... well, I don't know. All I know is that through many generations this story has been passed down from parent to child. It is not just a story told to just me but there is some version of this story told by everyone. Tonight, your parents asked me to be the one to tell you the story. It is the same save for the places where these events take place are different. You'll see what I mean when we get to that part of the story.

I was about seven when the Hallows End ritual began for me. Our father would take us for a long evening walk, every evening, during Hallows. We would walk along the roads and paths in Tirisfal Glade and gather nuts from the trees to roast later over the hearth fire. We would also discuss things that were going on in our lives like the weirdness going on over at Agamand Mills and the uneasy feeling we'd get when walking to Solliden's Farmstead. Our walk would wind around eventually bringing us near the cemetery in Brill. It was here that we would stop two, three, and eventually after Eric was born four times.

The first stop would be at an unmarked grave to the far end of the cemetery near the bridge to Cold Hearth Manor. Father would ask me to wait at the little gazebo while he and my brother would walk together to the grave. There father and Joe would kneel, say a prayer, lay a flower, and then come get me. Father would have Joe and later my sister Sylvania and brother Eric go ahead and stand by the tomb while he and I would visit another unmarked grave. Like with my brother, I'd kneel, say a prayer, and lay a flower. The ritual would be repeated with Syl and Eric. We'd then walk back home by the short route and do the same thing every evening until the end of Hallows End and Day of the Dead eve, like tonight, and the explanation of who and what those graves were would be told."

Hanshii looks around the circle and he can see the wide eyes of the children looking up at their parents in recognition of the story. At that he laughs and gets an elbow in the ribcage by his spouse which just makes him laugh all the more. Considering the undead laugh can send shivers down one's spine it makes an impression on the children whose eyes get even wider and hold tightly on to their parent's arm.

"On the eve, around a campfire just like this one, my family would gather. My grandfather would intone his children's names one by one and throw some funeral spice on the fire, like this," Hanshii tosses out some sort of spice from his hand and fire roars to life for a moment before quieting down. "And then my father would say our names and throw in his spice." Again Hanshii tosses in more of the sweet smelling spice and the fire responds once again to his offering.

"And then, my grandfather would tell the tale of how each of his children, the male children were born ghouls, the female children were born dark wraiths, and how after each birth he would go up to the priest and make a deal. He never said what the deal was but after talking to the priest he would take the ghoul or wraith and place them in an unmarked grave. Later, about mid day he would return with the priest and the priest would pray and offer incense over the grave."

Hanshii shifts, says a prayer, and waves a little censer over a small mound of dirt that he's kept blocked from sight. Suddenly there is movement from the dirt and a finger (or paw or hoof depending on the race of child watching it) pops up like a growing thing.

"See? Just like that! Little by little a newborn child would come from the soil!" Hanshii points and gestures as an ethereal child begins to coalesce from the mound. Then catching the eye of each child he says, "And just like that were you born. And that is why every Hallows End you honor the unmarked grave so that you remain and the ghost stays where she or he is!"

Once again Hanshii laughs and there begins squeals and cries as the children bury their faces into their parent's chests.

"And that is my story for you this year. Remember it!" Hanshii says as he gets up and walks away.

 

With his arm around Arielys, Hanshii walks into the night.


End file.
